NEW STANTON, Pa. -- State police said they were forced to Taser an emu on the Pennsylvania Turnpike, reported WTAE-TV in Pittsburgh.

The flightless bird was running along the eastbound lanes near New Stanton on Monday.

Police said the 4-foot-tall bird was creating a hazard for drivers, and troopers' attempts to corner it -- and even lasso it -- were not working.

"We tried everything to save the bird," Sgt. Anthony DeLuca told WTAE's news exchange partner, the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.

Troopers finally decided to stun the bird rather than shoot it, but they said it died when they moved it to the side of the road.

"I think what happened is after about two hours of running on the roadway, it probably had a heart attack," DeLuca told the paper.

Police said the emu may have escaped from a truck on the turnpike and did not belong to a local farm.